


Arms That Hold You

by levi_senpai



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Auror Partners, Bisexual Ginny Weasley, Bisexual Harry Potter, F/F, F/M, Healer Draco Malfoy, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 06:57:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8002723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/levi_senpai/pseuds/levi_senpai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Excerpt: But his mind wouldn't allow it. Instead it focused on Malfoy, his new partner. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park. If Harry knew anything about Draco Malfoy, he knew that the man enjoyed making things difficult for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arms That Hold You

"Are you kidding me, Shacklebolt?" Harry could hear Ron's voice through the closed door of Kingsley Shacklebolt's office. He was probably waving his arms, looking bloody mad. Despite wanting to peek in and see that, Harry couldn't move himself. He kept his gaze focused on the one in front of him. Silver eyes stared back, making him feel slightly uncomfrotable. Malfoy's hair was slightly longer, held back by a leather hair tie. His face had slight stubble that made him look a little older. But those eyes were exactly the same.

After the war, after the trials, Harry hadn't seen the Malfoys. Hadn't even heard about them in the Prophet. So sitting in front of Malfoy now, making way too much eye contact - it got under his skin.

How long had Ron been arguing with Kingsley? Twenty minutes? An hour? Harry couldn't seem to place it. Time had blurred itself together as he sat and waited. Hoped that by some miracle Ron would get through to the Minister of Magic. That Kingsley would pair Malfoy with someone else. Anyone else. Harry could care less that Malfoy was the top healer of his class. He didn't want the arsehole as a partner.

When he'd gotten the owl that was announcing his partner, he'd flooed Ron and Hermione, in complete hysterical mode. Ron had come with him to try and plea, beg for someone else. Shacklebolt had to be looney to pair Malfoy with him. But that had only resulted in Harry being unceremoniously kicked out of the office, Ron and Shacklebolt arguing like old men.

"He's loud. If anyone's trying to sneak a nap in their office, they're awake now." Malfoy sneered from where he sat, the beginnings of a smirk on his lips. Harry didn't respond, just averted his gaze towards the tiled floor. He wasn't going to make conversation with the prat, like they were friends.

Sure, he'd stood at the Malfoy case and vouched for them. Saying that even though they'd been on the opposite side - Voldemort's side - they were only trying to keep their son safe. Thankfully the Wizengamot had taken Harry's word, and none of the Malfoys had been sent to Azkaban. Instead he'd made Lucius Malfoy use some of his money to help repair Hogwarts. But that was years ago. In the years since, Malfoy had never reached out. Never made an attempt to mend old wounds and start over, so Harry could only assume he didn't want to.

Malfoy seemed to catch on that Harry wasn't going to talk, so he went back to sitting in silence. That sat like this, neither speaking again, for nearly an hour. Finally Ron emerged from the office. Harry looked to Ron instantly with a shred of hope that his friend had succeded. Instead he met a gaze that said it all. He looked absolutely defeated.

"Sorry mate, I tried but Kingsley insists that it'll be good for you two. You're stuck with the git." Ron grumbled, eyeing Malfoy suspiciously. "Listen here you," Ron pointed a finger at Malfoy, getting the blond man's attention "Don't you dare hurt Harry. If he dies or gets injured, I'm blaming you.".

"Oh no, I wouldn't think of hurting your precious Potter. Cross my heart and hope to die." Draco spoke in a mockingly sweet tone, a snide remark clearly on the tip of his tongue that he as holding back.

Ron mumbled something to himself that sounded vaguely like  _'that can be arranged'_ before turned back to Harry, expression light once more. "Harry if the ferret gives you any issues, floo me. I'll come right over and hex him into oblivion.".

"Thanks mate." Harry gave a grin, hugging Ron before he turned to go. He had his own paperwork to do after all. Harry grimaced as he realized that he'd have to talk to Malfoy sooner or later. Turning back to face him, he found that Malfoy wasn't too fond of the idea either.

"Listen Malfoy, it's more than clear neither of us are happy with this situation." Harry scowled when Malfoy interrupted him to say _'What an understatement, Potter'_. "Shut up and let me speak you git. I know you don't like it, and neither do I. But we're going to need to at least put that away. Because if we don't, one of us could get hurt or die.". Malfoy seemed to be taking this into consideration, finally nodding in agreement.

"Fine. This does not make us friends though, Potter. So no trying to invite me to a pub with you and the Weasles or that Weaslette of yours." Malfoy seemed to pick up on the sudden spike in anger when he called the Weasleys that, or spoke about Ginny like that. Because a snide smirk crossed his face.

"Oh trust me, I won't." Harry scowl seemed to deepen, if that was even possible. Now he just wanted to go home to his flat and sleep.

Maybe when he woke up, it would all be a horrible nightmare. It seemed Malfoy was thinking the same as he nodded, not even waiting for Harry to say something else before walking away. Watching Malfoy's back as he left, Harry's gaze drifted to the man's left forearm. Where he'd pulled the sleeve up on his right arm to releave some of the heat the summer had provided, his left sleeve was pulled down to his wrist. But Harry knew what would be underneath that fabric. A horrid white scar that barely looked like the dark mark would always be there on Malfoy's skin. And if the way he'd occasionally grasp the spot - like he was trying to hide it further - said anything, Malfoy knew that too.

By the time Harry came back to reality, Malfoy was long gone. Harry took this as an appropriate time to apparate home. Before anything else happened to make this day worse. Performing the apparate spell, Harry closed his eyes as the pulling feeling behind his navel lurched him forward into the darkness.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in the living area of his flat. A content sigh escaped him, tense muscles easing. He hadn't even noticed the tension in them until now. His flat wasn't particularly large, not that he couldn't afford a larger place. He just liked it this way. Small, homey. It had one bedroom, one bathroom, an okay sized living area, and a kitchen that barely fit the medium sized oak dining table Hermione had bought him.

Kicking his boots off, Harry padded across the scuffed wood floor towards his bedroom. Opening the door he instantly felt exhaustion hit him in a wave. Removing his shirt and pants, leaving them in a pool on the floor, he crawled into his bed with a sigh. Burrowing in the large comforter that Molly Weasley had made him, he closed his eyes and prayed for sleep to take him.

But his mind wouldn't allow it. Instead it focused on Malfoy, his new partner. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park. If Harry knew anything about Draco Malfoy, he knew that the man enjoyed making things difficult for him. Hopefully that didn't end with one of them dying.

Even though Malfoy looked slightly different, Harry was sure he was the same on the inside. Still the haughty git who used the M word freely and boiled his blood. And Harry was stuck with him. What had Shacklebolt said? _'This will be good for the two of you, no one understands you better.'_   Harry couldn't help but scoff. Malfoy knew nothing about him, and aside from knowing a few bad things about Malfoy, it was the same.vice versa. The best that could come out of this ordeal was neither of them dying. And the worst was something that even thinking about it dried Harry's mouth out.

He didn't want Malfoy to be the reason he met a horribly gruesome end.

Before Harry realized it, sleep had finally pulled him into its sweet and welcomed embrace. When he woke, the sun had set. In its place was the clear night sky and cool night air. It felt so much better than it had earlier that day.

The sound of a door opening echoed through the small hallway, making Harry sit up and stare at the hall. Not even seconds later, Ginny appeared in the doorway. She wore a knee length sundress, one Harry had bought her as an apology for accidentally spilling ink on her favourite shirt. Surprise was clear in her eyes, but a smile followed soon after.

"Oh you're home! I thought I saw your boots, but I wasn't sure you wore them today." Ginny hummed as she changed into pyjamas, causing a flush to spread across Harry's face at the sight of her bare back. He'd seen her completely naked before, they'd shagged for Merlin's sake. But seeing her skin still sent a wave of embarrassment through him involuntarily. "So how'd it go? Who's your partner?" Ginny crawled into bed beside him, placing a pillow behind her back as she turned to him.

"Malfoy." Harry groaned, placing his head in her lap. Ginny sighed sympathetically, running a hand through his hair.

"You've got to be kidding, is Shacklebolt daft? Does he not know your history with the git?".

Harry only shrugged, sighing as Ginny played with his hair. 

"Regardless, Ron and I tried but Shacklebolt won't assign me a different partner. Says it'll be good for us, that no one understands us better. I swear he's finally lost it." Harry grumbled, still unhappy about everything despite the face that it'd been over and done with hours before.

"Well, if he won't assign anyone else, just try to make sure he doesn't kill you." Ginny's laugh seemed to lighten her words, as if she wasn't warning him to stay safe and not die. Harry sat up, placing a soft kiss to her forehead before laying back and pulling her against his chest. Moments later, she was snoring softly with her arm wrapped gently around his waiste.

Even though she was there, curled into his side, Harry couldn't shake Malfoy from his thoughts. He knew there was no changing it. He was stuck with the git. But he couldn't think of anything else. Couldn't shake the image of Malfoy covering his forearm, despite the sleeve being down, anytime anyone passed them while they waited. Or the way he'd glare daggers at those that looked at him for even a second. He wasn't the same as he was in school. Malfoy knew how to hold his tongue now, he was more defensive it seemed. And Harry couldn't stop thinking about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here we have it!! This is simply the prologue. Showing where it all started. The next chapter will start off after Ginny and Harry have split, but before the go undercover.


End file.
